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US 9,804,659 B2Granted
On-chip sensor hub, and mobile device and multi-sensor management method therefor
AssigneeVia Alliance Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
InventorsDeming Gu, Zhou Hong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An on-chip sensor hub fabricated on a chip with a main processor of a mobile device, and the mobile device, and a method for multi-sensor management on the mobile device. An on-chip sensor hub includes a co-processor and uses an inter-process communication interface. The co-processor and main processor of the mobile device are fabricated on the same chip and communicate with each other via the inter-process communication interface. The co-processor controls a plurality of sensors in the mobile device in accordance with requests issued from the main processor. The co-processor further collects and manages sensor data from the sensors to be processed by the main processor.
Claims12
An on-chip sensor hub based on single-chip integration, comprising:
- a co-processor, fabricated on a chip with a main processor of a mobile device;
- an inter-process communication interface, for communications within the chip between the co-processor and the main processor;
- and
- a distributed volatile memory module, comprising a first memory space and a second memory space which are powered separately,
- wherein:
- the co-processor controls a plurality of sensors of the mobile device based on requests issued from the main processor, and collects and manages sensor data from the plurality of sensors to be processed by the main processor;
- the first memory space is used when the co-processor performs a first kind of operations on the sensors;
- the second memory space is used when the co-processor performs a second kind of operations, infrequent in comparison with the first kind of operations, on the sensors;
- and
- the co-processor further analyzes the requests issued from the main processor and, when the second kind of operations are not being performed, the co-processor switches the second memory space to a low-power data retention state independently from the first memory space.
7 more elements
A mobile device, comprising:
- a chip, comprising an on-chip sensor hub and a main processor, the on-chip sensor hub comprising:
- a co-processor, fabricated on a chip with a main processor of a mobile device;
- and
- an inter-process communication interface, for communications within the chip between the co-processor and the main processor;
- and
- a distributed volatile memory module, comprising a first memory space and a second memory space which are powered separately,
- wherein:
- the co-processor controls a plurality of sensors of the mobile device based on requests issued from the main processor, and collects and manages sensor data from the plurality of sensors to be processed by the main processor;
- the first memory space is used when the co-processor performs a first kind of operations on the sensors;
- the second memory space is used when the co-processor performs a second kind of operations, infrequent in comparison with the first kind of operations, on the sensors;
- and
- the co-processor further analyzes the requests issued from the main processor and, when the second kind of operations are not being performed, the co-processor switches the second memory space to a low-power data retention state independently from the first memory space;
- and
- a plurality of sensors, controlled by the main processor through on-chip sensor hub,
- wherein, through the on-chip sensor hub, the main processor collects and manages sensor data from the plurality of sensors.
12 more elements
A multi-sensor management method for a mobile device, comprising:
- providing a co-processor, which is fabricated on a chip with a main processor of the mobile device;
- using an inter-process communication interface for communications within the chip between the co-processor and the main processor;
- and
- providing a distributed volatile memory module, wherein the distributed volatile memory module comprises a first memory space and a second memory space which are powered separately,
- wherein:
- the co-processor controls a plurality of sensors of the mobile device based on requests issued from the main processor, and collects and manages sensor data from the plurality of sensors to be processed by the main processor;
- the first memory space is used when the co-processor performs a first kind of operations on the sensors;
- the second memory space is used when the co-processor performs a second kind of operations, infrequent in comparison with the first kind of operations, on the sensors;
- and
- the co-processor further analyzes the requests issued from the main processor and, when the second kind of operations are not being performed, the co-processor switches the second memory space to a low-power data retention state independently from the first memory space.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.